>> this is al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm tony harris with a look at today's top stories. a scathing r critique of presidt obama from his former defense secretary. and a second military helicopter crash in two days. and both helicopters that went down were made by the same company. 50 years ago today lbj declared war on poverty, but now say that war has been a failure.

>> the white house coming out today with some strong words in response to an attack on the obama administration from former defense secretary robert gates. in gates' new book he slams president obama for things of how it handled the war in afghanistan, and a particularly harsh attack against vice president joe biden. gates writes i think he has been wrong on every foreign policy and national policy in the last four decades. this line on biden, as you know, has been used by republicans before. but how surprised are you to hear this coming from the former secretary of defense. >> reporter: it's surprising for a number of reasons. first of all, robert gates never struck a person that he would write a memoir to write about someone he worked for while they are still in office and while

still directing the troops. robert gates was always known at a low-key, quiet, get-it-done kind of individual. in his book titled "duty" writes about his di disdain of washing. you wrote of the individuals in the white house in addition to what he said, gates also writes that biden is poisoning the well between the civilian leadership here at the white house and the military brass. now, the white house has tried to take the high road in response to all these allegati allegations. they did something unusual, allowed a photo op of the president having his weekly lunch with biden. they have allowed cameras in to

chronicle his relationship between the president and vice president joe biden. >> we reassert the fund mental fact here that vice president bide someone a key adviser on many matters for the president. the president greatly values the counsel that he provides. >> reporter: the political ramifications arramificationsram anyone's mind. joe biden may be considering a 2016 run. >> what about the question of whether a former official, and you mentioned it, and it's worth mentioning here should criticize a sitting president. >> reporter: and the issue with american troops still in the field particularly in afghanistan. we know the situation in iraq is

deteriorating, but american troops are still in combat in afghanistan. the allegation that is again raising eyebrows aside from biden was from the surge when the afghan surge wag being complicatcontemplated of the sue described obama of bees suspicious of the military and resentment of putting him in are a box of putting half began putn afghanistan. it's clear that the president was not behind his own policy. he almost expected failure. he couldn't stand hamid karzai. it's on that last point that jay carney has this to say. >> i think the issues here are not about he personal personalii they're about policies. decisions that the president

makes about sending and keeping military forces, american men and women in uniform, have to do with national interest, not those kinds of issues. >> reporter: and gates writes that president obama was all about getting out of afghanistan, and he thinks that president obama felt the afghan surge would fail. >> we start to read some of these excerpts and we didn't see this coming. mike viqueira for us at the white house. thank you. >> reporter: thank you. >> 50 years ago today president lyndon johnson declared a war on poverty. that led to several programs to help poor americans including medicare, medicaid, head start and food stamps. but five decades later some say the impact.

>> and this administration today here and now declares unconditional war on poverty in america. >> reporter: the speech came less than two months after the assassination of president kennedy. >> our aim is not only to relief the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and above all to prevent it. [applause] >> reporter: poverty had been a major concern of president kennedy, with a country still grieving with one in five americans living in poverty johnson declared war on poverty. university of texas professor wrote a book of how poverty undermines the united states. he said johnson's war on poverty speech was one of his best and the timing was perfect.

>> he realized he was not going to be a loved president, therefore it's much easier to continue the line of a president that was more than admired, he was loved and whatever, and take his agenda and make it yours, all the time making sure that you give enough credit to the person. >> let us carry forward the plans and programs of john fitzgerald kennedy not because of our sorrow or sympathy, but because they are right. >> reporter: to help convince congress to help invest on the war on poverty johnson took his plan to the people known as poverty tours. johnson went to the see the poorest of the poor in places like the mountains of west virginia. >> it helped push legislation. every time you play these little theatrics you're going to have

success. >> reporter: five years after the law passed poverty dropped from 20% to around 11%. today it's back around 15%. that's more than 36 million americans according to the census bureau. >> the richest nation on earth can afford to win it. we cannot afford to lose it. >> the war on poverty is yet another war that we're not winning. we cannot win the war of poverty for anyone else. those who are affected by poverty can be empowered in order to get out from this condition. >> reporter: the professor said he believes president johnson had the best intentions and the war on poverty had an impact. just not the impact that the country was hoping for. trillions of tax dollars and five decades later poverty persists. >> boy, i love to talk about

that. joining me sacha, author of a book on poverty, how the other half lives. just reading the book out loud leads me to this, what is the main observation that you have in your book. >> poverty is a an enormous problem. we're talking about all people of all ages and all races all corners of the country. i wanted to explore what poverty looks like and feels like in those individuals. people who have been excluded from the american children. i went around chronicling their stories. the second part of the book is solutions. it seems to me the what's most important on poverty and social inequality in this country is a story of how we can do better. johnson laid out this blueprint

for how we could do better in the 1960's and 70's. what i wanted to do in the american way of poverty is how we can do better in the 21st century and what kind of political will we would have to marshal to launch an effort as ambitious as what lyndon johnson launched in 1964. >> part of what you put forward is that johnson invited the poor to be a part of the conversation about their future. >> reporter: yes, johnson had lived with poverty. he had grown up in a very poor neighborhood. he taught in the deep south of texas in the 1940s, and he understood poverty firsthand. he understood that you couldn't just talk about poverty but engage people in their decision making. when i was looking at the war on poverty, there was this idea

that you have to empower people at not just give out handouts. lyndon johnson knew you had to empower people to take control of their own lives. but you had to give them the tools to do that. >> what does that mean, that's great because we hear john boehner talking about empowering people and setting up programs for reeducation and learning new schools, what does empowering mean? >> well, empowering means many things. on one level you have to engage people in the school about the o do, the houses they live in. crime, all the things that devil poor communities. you can't just talk about better schools, you have to provide funding for better schools. you can't talk in the abstract about better housing you have to have an affordable housing program. you can't just in the abstract talk about better ways to lend

people money, you have to provide the credit mechanisms. there are all kinds of things. it's huge conversation. >> you talk about conversation, and there needs to be a huge conversation, everybody would agree with that, but there is less empathy in the country for the kind of discussion that you're talking about on the subject of poverty, a subject of working poor, people who are just poor. a discussion about wage stagnation in this country. there just doesn't seem to be the room, the band width or the will to have that kind of a conversation. >> no, i think it's complicated. if go to the 1930s during the great depression, roosevelt was superb at marshaling a country's sense of empathy. when go to the 60 arsenal, johnson and poverty, johnson had a way of getting people to think about poverty in a way that didn't humiliate the poor. in the late 1970s on in as a country we talked about poverty

in a way that blames poor people for being in poverty. now doing that we trump the room for debate. you called it the band width. we've shrunk the way in which we way discuss living situation there is are experienced by the people that i write about in my book. now it seems to me when you're talking to adults who are working full time and still can't feed their children or talking to children who are going to school hungry or going to school barely clothed, wearing secondhand clothes or shoes with holes in them, you have a moral obligation to empathize with that situation. to demonize and say the poor are poor because they've done something wrong, we have to find a way to reignite the empathy, and a have conversation about this. i think it's one of the biggest conversations of our era.

>> sacha is the author of the book, "the american way of poverty: how the other half really lives." thank you for your time. the navy said one crew man died when one helicopter went down off the virginia coast. four people were rescued, but one died at a norfolk hospital. the conditions of the other italy are no--the other three at yet known. the air force is trying to figure out why a helicopter went down in england. four crew members died when the helicopter slammed in a marsh northeast of london. it was on a low-level training mission when it went down. this helicopter and one that crashed off the virginia court was both made by sikorsky. the company is saying it will offer any assistance it can to investigators. finally it's starting to warm up in much of the country,

that means we can begin to assess the damage from this record's cold spell. at least 20 people have died as a result of the extreme cold. cold kills more people every year than leukemia, homicide, and chronic liver disease. it could cost $5 billion. that comes from lost time and productivity due to travel issues and things like that and not going out to shop, not going out to have a meal. meteorologist dave warren is here with the much anticipated news of this warm up, dave? >> meteorologist: yes, we would just have to wait a little bit to overnight tonight we'll see these temperatures are not getting colder, and not dropping too much. normally see the numbers go down around this time of night. these are the cold temperatures. we have to look at the last two days to call that warm. 25, and 9:00 tonight down to 21. look at these numbers. not moving much.

really not dropping. you wake up tomorrow morning with the temperatures in the 20s. but here comes the much anticipated warm up climbing up freezing. the cold air is clearing out. high pressure moving off the coast. the warm air returns from the south. this is the pattern change that we're looking at so we'll begin to thaw out. we have a winterly mix across the southern plains not only tonight, we'll look at that with the radar, but in the forecast there is more to come for friday in iowa and chicago. we'll have more in the forecast when we come back. >> thank you. today is north korea's leader kim jong-un's birthday. dennis rodman sang happy

birthday to the leader. but rodman's actions are causing plenty of raised eyebrows here at home. j.t. is here with more. >> reporter: j.t. in the house. >> it is controversial. >> reporter: it is also quite funny. here is dennis rodman, a huge nba star goes over to north korea with other nba stars, and then comes up with this song happy birthday for kim jong-un. it could be a good idea, it could be a bad idea, but it happens in front of 14,000 fans in the indoor stadium yum, and he can't really sing ♪ happy birthday ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ happy birthday ♪ happy birthday to you [applause]

>> shades of marilyn monroe at madison square garden. >> it was breathy. >> reporter: north korea is short on human rights and what is potentially worse kim jong- jong-un, we think he killed his uncle just because he's a political rival. that makes the singing to kim jong-un just a little politically incensed. >> there is an american. >> reporter: yes. >> kenneth bae. >> reporter: yes, a christian missionary. many think he was there to spread the gospel. they don't like that and they accused him of trying to overthrow the government, and they gave him 15 years of hard labor. dennis rodman was asked about

this on cnn. i don't know what you think about cnn, but i think they're quite good. >> you know i was there for six years. nice shot. >> reporter: they said are you going to bring up the issue of kenneth bae. >> really, really? we'll go back and take in the abuse. >> reporter: well, it may or may not, but in the meantime, the sister of ken bae is hopping mad. she said this guy is not a diplomat. he doesn't know what he's talking about. the limited response from the white house, said this is a private ship. but they say its like taking hitler to lunch. >> wow, let that sit in the room. thank you. coming up on al jazeera, calls for justice and end to violence

after a popular, beautiful venezuela actress is gunned down. some say the government is to blame. and bombshell documents that may prove the office planned revenge on a local mayor because he didn't endoo endorse christis election campaign. and the new gadgets live from the consumer electronic show from las vegas. that's next.

consider this. the news of the day plus so much more. answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what.

real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. j. >> welcome back to al jazeera america. five people are been arrested in the connection of the murder of a venezuelan actress and her husband. monica spear and her husband were killed. their car broke down when robbers approached them.

this is causing a huge outroar over how bad violence has gotten in their country. >> reporter: monica spear was a popular soap opera actress. she was living in miami but vacationening in venezuela with their five-year-old daughter over the holidays. fans have been posting pictures and sending messages of rest in peace. some celebrities calling for the protest in front of the national assembly. and the opposition leaders will tweeted out to the president of venezuela, i'll translate, nicholas, i propose we put aside our differences and unite in security. and earlier today he and governors met with the president of venezuela. he's here in front of the presidential palace. the crime in venezuela is

rampant. this qued means rest in peace. this is the amount of people killed in homicide from 1999 to last year. almost 20,000 homicide in venezuela prompts erica to tweet this earlier. it took a famous actress to be murdered in venezuela to get worldwide attention. >> well, sometimes that's how it happens. one of the messages, boy, you don't want your car to break down, and if you do, you need to be prepared because that's what's happened here right? >> right, and some people think that was something that intentional, that the robberies did tharobbersdid that. >> appreciate it. >> on wall streets stocks not building any real momentum in the new year. the dow unable to add to

yesterday. lots of gadgets unveiled on day two of the electronic show. a smart phone that allows you to track your kids. i need that now. jacob ward at the ces, tell us more about this phone, please? >> reporter: hello, tony, this is a phone call the curio. for a lot of parents the use of smart phones is uncharted territory. this phone is remotely controlled by the parent. through this kind of phone you can set what's called a geofence such that the phone will work at school, home, but not in other places. you can choose the apps that your kids are going to use, the 130 text message on this one has a few of them--has only a few messages left but the ability to

track really anything that your child is going to do on the phone. it's something that i think could be of great relief to a lot of parents. with 64% of the mobile market already penetrated by smart phones there is a new market that they're talking about. another device that i have to show you is called the net at mode june. it's a bracelet, part of this new trend of wearable computing. it detects sunlight on your skin, and it comes with a companion app that runs on your smart phone and will tell you over time how much sun you've taken in today. how much sun you've taken in over the week, you need 15 spf today. 30 spf tomorrow. with sunburn and skin cancer at record rates it's the kind of thing that seems purpose built to be useful. but at $99,ness a fansy factor.

>> you told us that was one of the big features, a lot of wearable technology. good to see you. see you back here in an hour or so. coming up on al jazeera america. three years after she was shot in the head, former congresswoman gabrielle giffords marks the anniversary with a big jump straight ahead. >> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story next only on al jazeera america

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at your top stories. robert gates in his new memoir said the president mishandled the war in afghanistan and said vice president joe biden has been wrong on every foreign policy and national security issue over four decades. the white house says says that the president disagrees with

gates' assessment. >> wita helicopter crashed off another for forefolk, virginia,d they're still looking for one person. the helicopter was made by the same company that made the helicopter that crashede in productivity, travel issues and not going out to shop or have a meal. we could see one step forward today to extend the jobless benefits for the long long-term unemployed. the senate set to take another vote, but there are a lot of hurdles ahead. 58% of americans experience unemployment for more than three months. >> the senate could take a vote,

but nothing is pinned down yet. whilrepublicans are not happy wh the way this process is unfolding. they want a chance to offer amendments, and those amendments would be ways to pay for this $6.5 billion bill. that's how much it would cost to reinstate long term unemployment benefits. one of the promises has come from new hampshire. >> people who are working in the u.s. illegal would be kept from claiming the tax credit. that could in part pay for this, but so far her amendment is not coming to the floor. >> i can't understand why i wouldn't be able to get a vote on this amendment. so like senator portman, like

senator collins, i proceeded with this bill in good faith. why wouldn't you want to allow a vote. >> majority leader harry reid said this has been dismissed before. >> go after childre children--children--with the tax credit. a little scary, i would think. so i'm waiting, we're waiting for republicans' suggestions let's hear from them how they want to pay for it. they say they want to pay for it. let's hear what they want to do. >> reporter: other proposals including one from minority leader mitch mcconnell roll back the federal healthcare law a year to pay for it. that's going nowhere. the republicans are not letting it go forward. >> if the republicans have all these reservations about how to pay for this, what are the chance it is will clear the house?

>> reporter: right, after they get over the senate, the house is really big stumbling block. speaker john boehner said he wants it to be paid for, and he wants to see some other things added to this to increase employment generally across the country. democrats say there is no time. they want to get these benefits reinstated perhaps retroactively to december 28th. this is just a three-month extension. democrats want to see a full year extension. that's why they say they're not willing to fight over the nitty gritty of it right now. >> for many of the long-term unemployed things have been tough. we told up with a new york woman who feels caught in the middle of a congressional battle. >> december 29th, that will be my last paycheck. >> reporter: when teresa thinks about the future sometimes it brings her to tears.

just three days after christmas she got the bad news. her extended unemployment benefits would stop before the new year. >> congress enjoying themselves on vacation, and you have people wondering how will they put food on the table or pay their rent. honestly. >> reporter: she's among the 1.3 million americans who hope e the benefits for additional 27 weeks. for 14 months she has relied on the government for $1,500 a month. money that went for feeding her family, caring for her elderly mother and paying for prescription drugs. >> i suffer from high blood pressure. being stressful and not working and still looking for

employment, that's very stressful. >> reporter: connolly was laid off in 2012. she was an executive assistance at a non-profit organization. a job she held for 11 years. the search for her next job has turned into a search for a new career. >> i see that now by being unemployed for so long and you know, a lot of times you say to yourself, i have to experience this, there are so many jobs in my field, why am i not being called. >> even if benefits are not being extended, it's a short term solution. al jazeera, new york. >> florida has the country's tenth highest unemployment rate but for hundreds of thousands of people who are under employed often get overlooked. florida's under employment rate hit 17% just six months ago. we went to one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state.

>> reporter: supporting the wilson female o family of five 0 a month requires shuffle. paying some bills, delaying others, and worrying about every penny. >> fear that this little bit of income that we have leaves, then where are we at? will i be at the door? will i be out the door with my kids. >> reporter: 32-year-old working mom. she's a nationally certificated medical assistance, but she can't get a job in her field so she is se waitressing earning $4.25 an hour plus tips. she pays $131 a month for public housing apartment, and relies on food stamps. it's a life she shares with her four daughters and her fiancé who helps to pay the bills. she did not grow up in public housing. she doesn't want this to be anything more than a brief pit

stop o to a better life for her and her daughters. >> she lives in one of the poorest and most dangerousest neighborhoods in miami. a symbol to wilson of what is possible. she lived a life of poverty but broke the cycle. she now runs a non-profit. she said 50 years after lyndon b johnson declared war on poverty the battle rages on for far too many. >> people don't have the courage or the will to actually address the challenges of these urban communities. we have allowed ourselves to be okay with saving some and not all. >> reporter: in the last year miami children's initiative built a playground and pushed the city to repave a main road

and plant trees. this block by block approach is designed to show people they matter. but most importantly the goal is to ensure that kids get that ticket out of poverty, a college education. >> children can do anything. and it's up to the community to say on our block, on these streets, in our community our children are going to be the future, not the ones at the bottom. i think we could see a dramatic change. >> for wilson and her family life just became tougher. shortly after our interview her hours were cut from her job and unable to afford the gas, she watocommute to her job, she was forced to quit. >> victims were asleep when a fire broke out. it burned through three rail cars before a guard noticed it and stopped the train.

26 million people use india's train network every day. the trial of egypt's deposed president mohamed morsi has been delayed. the trial was delayed because of heavy fog. canceling many flights in to cairo. prosecutors have charged morsi in three separate case cases. it is a case of supply not keeping up with demand. india consumes 16 billion cocoa nuts every year. and produces 15% of the world supply. the demand is higher than ever, and that has farmers in the country trying new tactics to keep up as we report from southern india. >> coconuts are synonymous with carola. it's easy to see why, the trees are everywhere. but even here it's still not enough to keep up with demand.

at this government sponsored training camp workers learn how to climb coconut trees with the help of these machines. and what was once a job looked down upon its becoming a popular pro. >> he is in my village i'm the first to do this. it is very hard. one has to climb the tree and sometimes gets injured. but with the help of this machine its easier and safer. >> it's not just simply climbing up trees but classroom work on tree maintenance. with coconuts available in colder parts of the country, farmers have to plant and harvest more trees to reach demand. but demand is set to outpace supply. because of that demand coconut tree farming is booming. farming here for 25 years, he

says previously coconut trees were chopped down to make room for rubber trees which were more profitable. but now that trend is reversing and coconut trees are now back in demand. but supply has not risen enough and traders are feeling the effects. times are tough at this coconut processing center. >> there are a lot of demand but we don't have enough supply. >> reporter: as farming coconuts become popular, harvest something picking up and breathing new life into an old profession. al jazeera, india. >> a study said not enough doctors are asking patients about their alcohol consumption. we'll talk more about that. >> reporter: tony, thank you very much. the center for disease control are recommending that doctors talk to their patients about alcohol abuse.

according to the latest studies an estimated 38 million americans drink alcohol excessively but only one in six have disclosed drinking to their doctor. screening patients for excessive drinking can cut down on overalcohol consumption. in utah the governor said the state will not recognize same-sex marriage at least for now. that's when a federal judge declared the state's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, people flocked to get married. then the supreme court supported the stay on marriages. it will all be worked out in the judicial system. governor chris christie is facing new questions over bridge gate. e-mails showing closures at

george washington bridge because he refused to endorse christie. one month later the agency closed several lanes as part of what they called a traffic study. during those four days the computer timcommuter time to cre bridge reached four hours. christie said, is it wrong that i'm smiling? christie insists that the lane closures had nothing to do with his office. but just a few minutes ago he is now saying he didn't know anything about this. and that if his aides were involved and responsible, he didn't know about it. he's saying the action of his aides is inappropriate, and they should be held accountable.

the message coming from chris christie was, hey, i didn't know anything about this, my aides were doing it. >> so the other shoe here would be, if one of the aides came forward, the one who is being thrown under the bus on this, right, with something, e-mails or something linking the governor directly to this, right? >> reporter: well, tony. >> that's the other shoe. >> reporter: keep in mind some of these aides have retained criminal defense attorneys. >> so something is coming. >> reporter: an investigation, perhaps a state investigation, a lot of people are lawyering up. chris christie, he better hope that the aides were not acting on anything that he said otherwise he'll face some real trouble as he tries to get ready for the 2016 presidential campaign. >> more to come. >> reporter: interesting story, today marks a very important anniversary for one of the highest profile advocates of gun control. it was three years ago in a

tucson parking lot when gun control advocates was suddenly presented with a new face for their efforts. gaby givgabrielle giffords. giffords underwent surgery and rehabilitation after the shooting. three months later she gave her first public interview. >> is it painful, hard? >> just difficult, difficult. strong, strong. >> reporter: in january of 2012 giffortds announced she was leaving congress to focus on her recovery. >> i'm getting better. >> reporter: six months later there was another gun massacre. this time in a movie theater in colorado. and then a few months after that another. and at an elementary school in connecticut. >> no single law, no set of laws

can eliminate evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society. but that can't be an excuse for an action. surely we can do better than this. >> reporter: national polling shows a surge of up to 58% of americans who would support stricter gun control laws. gaby giffor ds testifying to congress. >> you must act. be bold, be courageous. >> reporter: but the national rifle association also swung into action. and bipartisan compromise ban limitin, andfor gaby giffords tt continues. she helps candidates who support gun control. >> in the three years since she herself was shot, gabrielle

giffords has become something of a spokesperson for people who are recovering from adversity. to that extent she celebrated this anniversary today by going skydiving. gabrielle giffords went skydiving today. >> still amazing. it is still kind of amazing to me. you made note of it at the end of the piece there. some of the legislation proposed seems common sense. high capacity magazine. what is the need of that? >> yes, and it had approval sending a message to everyone saying life does not end. here is a picture of her husband, a former astronaut. this is a picture of gabrielle giffords when she's about to land when her parachute drop today. good for her and her family for moving on. and they continue to cite the polling that people want it. >> david shuster with us.

coming up on al jazeera america, a high school in jacksonville, florida, named after a dark period in american history gets a new name and a fresh start. "america tonight" investigative series >> we traveled here to japan to find out what's really happening at fukushima daiich >> three years after the nucular disaster, the hidden truth about the ongoing cleanup efforts and how the fallout could effect the safety of americans >> are dangerous amounts of radioactive water, leaking into the pacific eververyday? >> join america tonight's michael okwu for an exclusive four part series, as we return to fukushima only on al jazeera america sense for some people. >> you may want all these gadgets and want to take them home. it will be a while for a lot of them to be available to us. that great to have you on the show, good to see you, enjoy yourself out there in vegas. >> time now to see what's trending on aljazeera america's website.

>> a new report out today by the american cancer society points to a 20% drop in can senior death rates, over a million lives saved in the last decades due in large part to a smoking decrease. not much attention is paid to lung cancer, but it accounts for more than one in every four cancer deaths. a big headline is progress among middle aged black men. from noon 91 to 2010 cancer death rates have declined 50% among black men in that age range. death rates are still higher among black men than white men >> a jazeera america is the only news channel that brings you

live news at the top of every hour >> here are the headlines at this hour breaking news... sports... business... weather... live news...every hour, on the hour only on al jazeera america >> what is in a name? for students andreas comments jacksonville, florida, a lot. a high school there was named for a man associated with a dark period of american history. now that school is getting a fresh start. we have more from jacksonville. >> reporter: nathan bedford forest high school is named for a celebrated confederate general and reportedly the grand wiz of

the ku klux klan now it's been renamed. >> by changing the name it shows that students can get involved. >> reporter: in schools across the united states were operating under court orders to desegregate. despite students wishing to be named vahala, they were overruled, and nathan bedford forest hooligan. in 2007 the board was requested to change the name, but the board refused. in 2013 renew calls for change and garnered 60,000 signatures the board voted to adopt a new school name. this time the board listened to student voices. >> not only did they believe that the name needed to be

changed but their voice was clearly heard about what the new name should be and that west side. >> it's been around for a long time. it should have stayed the same. >> reporter: at least one parent believes that it should be used as a teaching and learning tool. >> i think this should have been a representation of how far we have come. >> reporter: the super bowl said the decision to change the school's name is a turning point in that students and educators can focus on issues that are now important. academics and achievement. total cost to the district, $400,000. the superintendent considers it a real life civics lesson for students. >> reporter: hopefully it's empowering for them and something that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. >> come next september entering students will see a new marquee,

uniforms not emblazoned with a polarizing icon but with west side senior high. actioal jazeera, florida. >> there was a break in, and four decades later there is disturbing news about spying in america. and it comes behind the burgla burglary. >> reporter: long before edward snowden there was massive nsa leaks. it was in 1971 at the agency's suburban philadelphia office. leaving with top classified information taken. the thieves were never found until they decided to come forward. >> well, i was one of eight members of something called the

citizens commission to investigate the fbi. and the reason citizens had to investigate the fbi is that people down in washington were terrified of j edgar hoover. >> reporter: 40 years later the burglars are revealing what they did and why. >> we took all the files from the office, took those out, put them in those five suit cases. took the suit cases out to a car and left for a safe house. >> reporter: the group comprised of three professor, a cab driver, and a daycare center worker who said they were on a mission to expose illegal activities by the fbi. >> they used the instruments of massive surveillance, intimidation and infiltrators in order to take the voice of

dissent away from di dissent. >> we heard shouts around the house. look at this. and we found some very incriminating files. >> reporter: the story of the brazen heist is now the subject of a documentary, and a new book by the first reporter to get the documents in her mailbox. >> the fbi was never the same again. >> reporter: they kept their silence for decades. >> we had to do what the folks we elected to do for us couldn't do. >> reporter: now they're talking. richelle carey, al jazeera america. >> that fbi break in led to regulations that restricted government surveillance on citizens. many of the regulations were active until 9/11. let's take a look at these pictures outside. i think these are pictures of salt lake city. i thought we were going to see the street level. after the arctic blast that hit the lower 48, dave warren is next with a look at the national forecast.

>> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story next only on al jazeera america

>> i'm dave warren. the cold air is trying to clear out of here. the temperatures have warmed up each day and now they won't drop too much tonight. still cold in minneapolis, chicago, here is the warm air coming up from the south right from the gulf, and that is leading to warm air. eastern texas, arkansas, missouri. there is some freezing rain and mix there. that's rain falling in the air which is right about or below freezing. it could freeze when it hits the ground so a large area with just slick roadways here as we're seeing freezing rain and sleet with the winter weather advisory in effect. so the warm air is coming back, and that rain is falling into that cold air. that's the problem. 50s to 60s to 70s in dallas. the warm air comes back to the south. low temperatures coming up in the upper 30's and lower 40s. heres where the cold air was in

the last place. right here across the mid-atlantic, not dropping too much, only in the mid to low 20s tonight and climbing above freezing tomorrow. lake-effect snows continuing now but start to go wind down. over 30 inches of snow with a little more predicted. so a lot of snow east of the great lakes as you get that bitter cold air. there goes the cold air, high pressure clears out. the warm air returns. we're getting that freezing rain now. this is friday, the temperatures climbing up a bit each day. there is another storm that pulls that moisture up. we'll see that rain with the sleet and freezing rain just west of chicago. we'll keep a close eye on that over the next 48 hours. looking over the headlines coming up as tony comes back in just a little bit.

>> this is al jazeera america live from new york. time' tony harris. former defense secretary robert gates wrote in his book sharply criticizes vice president joe biden's i thin instincts. investigation of two helicopter crashes. the first happened in norfolk, virginia, and the other happened in engla